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Clinkle Places Priority on College Students

Posted on Jul 18, 2013

By: Vivian Le

Clinkle, a mobile payments startup company, announced this week that college students will get a chance to download app before the general public. By submitting their university email, students will be placed on their respective wait list that will allow them early access to the new app. When visiting the Clinkle website, I was prompted to enter my email address to be put on the wait list and so I did. This is what I got:

Whenever I entered my university email address, I got something different. I got several different screens like the one below that described the product as “Something bold. Something magical. Something fun.” The student-exclusive site also featured an interactive portion that allowed me to transfer (fake) money between a Clinkle money clip and a (fake) bank account.

I think there were a several motives behind the company’s decision to specifically target college students. Many university students' (including myself) iPhones have become embedded into their daily lives, from using it to check email, the weather, logging in work outs, etc. I know I’m not alone when I say it’s a strange (but not always bad) feeling when I don’t have my phone with me. Offering this Apple-exclusive app allows students to integrate yet another part of their life into their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Additionally, since a good portion of students have at least one of these Apple products, they are much more likely to download to the app to try it out, especially one that is placing priority on them and even more so if it’s free. Additionally, as a college student, you learn to spend money more carefully and develop a budget. This app would help students keep track of their spending and balances with just a few taps on a screen. The company is also aiming to have zero intermediary fees and when you’re a college student, every dollar counts.